Shortwavemusic

Info

Thirty years ago, WILLIAM BASINSKI began experiments with tape loops by capturing sounds off of Muzak shortwave stations, blending and layering and adjusting speeds to create a wash of ambient textures and droning atmospheres. Fifteen years later, those experiments were pressed for the first time ever by German electronic label Raster-Noton, initiating the publicized career of a composer who would go on to release critically-acclaimed albums of his inimitable analog sound. 

Auris Apothecary is honored to present a 30th Anniversary Edition of Shortwavemusic on its most familiar medium, recorded to recycled reels of vintage ¼" tape as an homage to the original loop format & to encourage the warmth of tape disintegration that WILLIAM BASINSKI has become known for. A wordless 8-panel transparent mylar art-booklet silkscreened in stunning white ink shows waveforms of each track as well as an original line-art drawing of the audio setup used to create the album. When held to the light, all layers are visible within & through each other, much like the generative melodies of the slow-pulsing tones that make up the timeless tape-music classic Shortwavemusic.

NOTICE: Shortwavemusic has been dubbed onto recycled reels of vintage tape stock which have previously been played an unknown amount of times in possibly despicable conditions. An assortment of audio ailments such as dropouts, warble, pitch-bending, static, crackle, hiss & extreme frequency shifting are to be expected, and all flaws which may arise are entirely condoned as adding cohesion to the release concept.

Packaging

White glossy reel boxes with full-color digital art adhered to front and back. Inside credits and writing printed in black laserjet ink onto white cardstock. Saddle-stitched 8-panel transparent mylar booklet silkscreened in white ink. Reel hand-stamped in white ink. Clear plastic sleeves sealed with white glossy sticker with black laserjet printing and serial number in black ink.

Tracklisting

A1 - 23:40 - On A Frontier of Wires
A2 - 08:35 - Evening Scars
B1 - 05:30 - Cobalt Pools
B2 - 07:15 - Fringe Area
B3 - 14:15 - Particle Showers